In this article we propose small area estimators for both the small and large area parameters. When the objective is to estimate parameters at both levels, optimality is achieved by a sample design that combines fixed and proportional allocation. In such a design, one fraction of the sample is distributed proportionally among the small areas and the rest is evenly distributed. Simulation is used to assess the performance of the direct estimator and two composite small area estimators, for a range...

A national survey designed for estimating a specific population quantity is sometimes used for estimation of this quantity also for a small area, such as a province. Budget constraints do not allow a greater sample size for the small area, and so other means of improving estimation have to be devised. We investigate such methods and assess them by a Monte Carlo study. We explore how a complementary survey can be exploited in small area estimation. We use the context of the Spanish Labour Force Survey...

Most published research on the comparison between medical treatment options merely compares the results (effectiveness and cost) obtained for each treatment group. The present work proposes the incorporation of other patient characteristics into the analysis. Most of the studies carried out in this context assume normality of both costs and effectiveness. In practice, however, the data are not always distributed according to this assumption. Alternative models have to be developed.In this paper,...

In linear regression models the estimator of variance components needs a suitable choice of a starting point for an iterative procedure for a determination of the estimate. The aim of this paper is to find a criterion for a decision whether a linear regression model enables to determine the estimate reasonably and whether it is possible to do so when using the given data.

The estimation procedures in the multiepoch (and specially twoepoch) linear regression models with the nuisance parameters that were described in [2], Chapter 9, frequently need finding the inverse of a $3\times 3$ partitioned matrix. We use different kinds of such inversion in dependence on simplicity of the result, similarly as in well known Rohde formula for $2\times 2$ partitioned matrix. We will show some of these formulas, also methods how to get the other formulas, and then we applicate the formulas in estimation...